Ice container for refrigerator cars



Nov. 9, 1948.

E. R. BATTLEY ET AL ICE CONTAINER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Original FiledJan. 26, 1945 INVENTORS- Zak 2m f3 542x 1;

Patented Nov. 9, 1948 UNIT-ETD S TATES PATENT OFFICE IGE CONTAINER FORREFRIGERATOR CARS Edwin R. Battl-ey and George E. McCoy,

'MontreaJ-l, Quebec, Canada Qrig'inal application January 26, 1945,Serial No. 574,790. Divided and this application March '17, 1947, SerialNo; 735,104

- 1 This invention relates to railroad refrigerator cars having hatchesin the roof thereof through which refrigerant containers, positionedimmediately below the roof, but spaced slightly therefrom for aircirculation therebetween, are serviced, said containers having openingsin the top surface thereof registering with the hatch openings in thecar roof, and is an improvement over the construction shown in BonsallPatent No. 2,136,999 of November 15, 1938.

The invention more specifically relates to such cars having refrigerantcontainers of the solid type "tor -holding brine or water ice as therefrigerating medium, and which containers, therefore, must have meansto prevent service movements of the car from causing the liquid in saidcontainers to surge out through the filling opening into said spacethereabove and thence into the car.

An object of the invention is to so associate the container with theroof and hatch plug so that when the plug is opened for ventilation aircoming into the car through the hatch may circulate about the containerand enter the lading compartment of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide means between therefrigerant container and the car roof so as to materially retard, ifnot prevent, surging of the liquid therein out through the fillingopening.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing forming part of thisapplication and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

The figure is a vertical section of a railway car showing a hatchwayconstruction and the relation of my invention thereof.

In the drawings, i represents the side wall of a refrigerator car, and 2the roof thereof, both of which, it will be understood, are of suitableinsulated construction, the details of whichmay be omitted, since theyform no part of our'present invention.

A hatch opening 3 is formed in the roof v2, extending therethrough andis provided with a hatch frame as is common. Immediately below the roof,but spaced slightly therefrom, is a refrigerant container 4, having anopening 5 in the upper surface thereof which registers with the hatchopening 3. The container 4 is'spaced from the roof 2 to provide an aircirculating and air cooling space 16, and also to provide apath forventilating air to the interior of the carwhen '6 Claims. (CI. 6217) 2the hatch-plug is removed or raised for veniiilating purposes.

As is common in refrigerator cars of this type, a substantiallyhorizontally disposed drip pan (or ceiling) lis ins-tailed below therefrigerant container 4 and spaced slightly therefrom to form an aircooling space i? thereb'etween. This drip pan extends from approximatelythe longitudinal center of the-car l9 where'it is provided with anupwardly extending loafile '8. Space ilcommunicates with flue 9associated with said'wa'll I. A path for circulating air, When'the'caris under ventilation, is thus provided around'th'e container anddownwardly through the interiorof the car,

' as indicated'by the arrows.

The hatch plug is shown at H], the major portion of which may be of aconstruction as is found in such plugs now on the market for use whenthe car is under refrigeration.

A bafile construction is provided about the perimeter of the opening 5and in the space l6 between the container 4 and roof 2. This bafileconstruction comprises a series of overlapping vanes 25-26 so that airmay readily circulate therethrough, but any surging of liquid within thecontainer is effectively retarded, if not prevented, from escaping intothe space I6. Should any surging liquid escape over some of the vanes,we have provided small drain holes 2'l-28 through the upper wall of thecontainer so that said liquid may drain back thereinto.-

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of theinvention, though it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as itis obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of theclaims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

This is a division of our co-pending application, Serial No. 574,790,filed January 26, 1945.

We claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having a hatch opening in the roof thereof, arefrigerant container spaced below said roof so as to provide a spacebetween the roof and the container which communicates with the hatchopening and the interior of the car for ventilation, said containerhaving a filling opening registering with the hatch opening, a pluralityof spaced vanes depending from said roof in overlapping and spacedrelation with a plurality of spaced upstanding vanes on the containeraround the perimeter of the filling opening, whereby air entering thehatch opening may pass between said vanes into the interior of the car,and drain holes in the container and adjacent sides of said spacesufiiciently to prevent liquid within the container from surging out ofthe filling opening through said space to the interior of the car duringservice movements of-said car without preventing air communicationbetween said hatch opening and said lading compartment through said aircirculating space. V

3. In a refrigerator car having a hatch opening in the roof thereof, arefrigerant container spaced below said roof so as to provide a spacebetween the roof and the container, which space communicates with thehatch opening and the interior of the car for ventilation, saidcontainer havtainer having erator car, said container having a fillingopening therein, a plurality of spaced upstanding vanes adjacent andabout the filling opening to" retard liquid within said container fromsurging out of said opening beyond said vanes.

5. A refrigerant container for a railwa ref igerator car, said containerhaving a filling ope ing therein, a plurality of spaced upstanding vanesadjacent and about the filling opening to retard liquid within saidcontainer from surging out of said opening beyond said vanes, and drainholes between adjacent vanes to drain any liquid surging over a vaneback into the container.

6. A refrigerant container for a railway refrigerator car having a hatchopening in the roof thereof and a plurality of spaced vanes dependingfrom said roof about said opening, said cona filling opening thereinregistrable with said hatch opening, a plurality of spaced upstandingvanes adjacent and about the filling opening and arranged so as tooverlap said depending vanes to retard liquid within said container fromsurging out of said opening beyond ing apfilling opening registeringwith said hatch opening, a plurality of spaced vanes depending from saidroof in overlapping and spaced relationship with a plurality ofupstanding vanes on said container, about the filling opening to retardliquid Within the container from surging out of the filling openingthrough said space into the interior of the ear, without materiallyrestricting air circulation through said space.

4. A refrigerant container for a railway refrigsaidvanes. V

EDWIN R. BATTLEY. GEORGE E. MCCOY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:'

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Zimmerman Jan. 18, 1876 Number

